Gospel Conversation — Jeremiah Burroughs

Gospel Conversation · Jeremiah Burroughs

GOSPEL-Converſation: Wherein is ſhewed, I. How the Converſation of Believers muſt be above what could be by the Light of Nature.

II. Beyond thoſe that lived under the Law.

III. And ſuitable to what Truths the Goſpel holds forth.

By Jeremiah Burroughs, Preacher of the Goſpel to Stepney and Criplegate, London.

Being the Third Book publiſhed by

Thomas Goodwyn,

William Greenhil,

Sydrach Simpſon,

Philip Nye,

William Bridge,

John Yates,

William Adderly.

LONDON: Printed by Peter Cole, at the Sign of the Printing-Preſs in Cornhil, near the Royal Exchange. 1650.

To the Reader.

THe order and method which we propounded to our ſelves, and ſtill purſue in publiſhing this bleſſed mans Labors committed to us, is the ſame with his own in Preaching them; and in his Preaching ſtile alſo we preſent them, that ſo both for matter and miner they might be every way his own. We need not ſet him up any other Pillar or Monument then what himſelf erected by his own worth; and yet we may as truly ſay of him, as Nazianzen of Athanaſius, foreign, He was high in worth, but humble in heart: He dyed in the ſtrength of his Parts and Graces, and did not wear with ruſt, but uſe: (Ampliſſimum vitae ſpatium uſ que ad ſapientiam vivere) He did the work of him that ſent him, whileſt it was day, becauſe he feared (as he would often ſay) a night was coming upon the Kingdom, wherein he could not work; and ſo he lived long in a little time.

It grieved his Soul to ſee how among Profeſſors of Religion, Holineſs of Life, and circumſpect walking, is not attended to in this diſſolute and diſſolved Age we live in: What Truths therefore ſerved moſt to revive and renew that Spirit and vigor of Practical Holineſs, which was breathing in them before theſe Times; theſe he moſt inſiſted on, and preſſed upon the Conſciences of Believers: And he that is converſant in his Writings, will readily diſcern, that he judged the power of Godlineſs not to conſiſt in high-towring-ſpeculation (though himſelf was of excellent-raiſed-parts) but in an holy Converſation, which is peculiarly the ſubject of this Treatiſe; therein following the direction of Paul to Titus, exhorting Believers in God, to maintain good Works, foreign, to go before others in good works, or to ſet before others good works, as the words imply, Tit. 3. 8.

Which yet whileſt a Chriſtian purſues with all zealous fervency and intention, he muſt withal be acquainted with the Root from whence all his Holineſs muſt ſpring. Good Works are dangerous, if they be made the Foundation in the great point of Juſtification by Faith; but if they be uſed in the ſuperſtruction, then they are very uſeful. We cannot have children from Chriſt, except we be firſt married to Chriſt: No works of Sanctification, before Vnion with Chriſt. Many cry out for Obedience and good Works, yet are profane, becauſe they go not to Chriſt for theſe; You will not come to me, that you might have life, ſaith our Savior: Except we do all for and from Chriſt, our Luſts will not be mortified, our Duties not accepted, our Conſciences not purified; we ſhall not be ſtrengthned againſt croſſes, neither ſhall we go on chearfully, nor perſevere: The fooliſh proud heart of man is loth to be ſo much beholding to Ieſus Chriſt, as to receive Salvation from him altogether, but ſomething it will do, and ſomething Chriſt muſt do; yet it leans much, if not moſt upon it ſelf, onelyonly it will take in Chriſt to make more ſure work. There is a ſturdy ſtoutneſs and unyieldingneſs of Spirit in men, againſt the bleſſed Truths of the Goſpel made known unto them; they muſt have Peace, Comfort, Aſſurance, their own way, or elſe reject all; they would finde a principle of life and power within themſelves, and not go to Chriſt for it; they would bring ſomething to Chriſt, and not fetch all from Chriſt; not knowing that the way which all true Believers have gone (after much wearying of themſelves to finde ſomething in themſelves) hath been at the laſt to rowl themſelves wholly upon the Free-grace of God through Ieſus Chriſt, ſeeing nothing in themſelves, yet giving glory to God by believing; and if they could bring their hearts ſo diſpoſed and qualified, yet they ſee the danger of reſting in what they are, have and do. And if want of ſuch and ſuch conditions and qualifications had ground enough to keep from Chriſt, it might have hindred any that ever did caſt themſelves upon the Free-grace of God, becauſe they would ſtill have been at a loſs, finding a defect in them.

Theſe things we judge not unſeaſonable to premiſe, in the reading of this and all other Treatiſes of this nature, that Chriſtians may (when they abound in much-doing and well-doing) be ſtill as much afraid of reſting in doing well, as of committing ill, and be content to have all flowers withered that refreſh them without Chriſt; And when after Humiliation and caſting down for ſin, they begin to ſtand upright, as they think, upon the legs of their Prayers, Performances, Inherent Graces and Qualifications, and Righteouſneſs and Holineſs expreſſed in their Lives and Converſations, they may yet notwithſtanding all this, be brought, not to glory in themſelves, but in Ieſus Chriſt, and willingly come down from the Throne of their own Conceits, Sufficiences, Abilities, and be at the Footſtool and Threſhold of Ieſus Chriſt; that ſeeing they know nothing, are nothing, have nothing, do nothing, they may be nothing in their own eyes, that Chriſt might be all, do all their work in them and for them, that ſo they may wholly live upon Chriſt, and to Chriſt, ſtill drawing vertue from him, ſeeing a need of Chriſt, and of nothing elſe, and finding a fulneſs and help in him, and in nothing elſe.

This word of direction being given the Reader in his peruſing this Treatiſe about Goſpel-Converſation, the publiſhing of which in theſe perillous Times, we conceive exceeding ſuitable and uſeful, wherein ſo many are led away after thoſe Doctrines that are not after godlineſs, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks. This holy man would often much bewail that he did not ſee that holy frame and temper of Spirit in the Profeſſors of our days, which was in thoſe God was pleaſed to take out of this world to himſelf in the days immediately foregoing theſe Troubles: He would often ſay, We ſeem to have more light now, but we have loſt our heat and firſt love. We pray the Lord awaken us, that we may do our firſt works before he come againſt us quickly, and remove the Candleſtick out of its place. Amen.